Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/658240
STiR tea & coffee industry international 29 K L O T H & K Ö H N K E N T E E H A N D E L G M B H K O N S U L - S M I D T - S T R A S S E 8 j SPEICHER 1 - D -282 17 BREMEN FON + 4 9 - 4 2 1 - 3 4 8 5 2 6 4 FAX + 4 9 - 4 2 1 - 3 4 7 7 7 2 0 W W W . K K T E E . D E M A I L @ K K T E E . D E IT SUITS ALL MERCHANTS TO TRADE FAIR AND QUALI-TEA ! Sustainable Coffee Challenge Conservation International (CI) announced a bold plan during the World Coffee Conference to make coffee the world's first completely sus- tainable agricultural commodity. Delegates to the International Coffee Or- ganization's (ICO) event, hosted by the govern- ment of Ethiopia, were challenged to partner with the Challenge to develop a plan to drive the industry toward sustainable production. "We need a common definition of sustain- ability for the coffee sector, " said Peter Selig- mann, chairman and c.e.o. of Co nservation International. "This will requi re commitments by roasters to support increase d demand for sustainability. It will also re quire improved measurement of how far the sector has come in the sustainability journey — and just how far we have to go." "We are a dynamic and diverse coalition from across the sector, united in the belief that it is possible to grow coffee while ensuring the prosperity and wellbeing of farmers and con- serving forest, water and soil," according to Bambi Semroc, a CI senior strategic adviser. Climate change is affecting growing con- ditions, market volatility has significantly low- ered prices and aging coffee trees are declin- ing in productivity, she said. "This is leaving the next generation of cof- fee farmers seeking economic alternatives for their livelihoods," said Semroc. Seligmann said "these are complex issues that require a wide range of solutions. There are numerous pathways to sustainability and every individual, business and organization in- volved in coffee has a role to play. By sharing knowledge and experience, we can stimulate demand for sustainability across the sector and spur the actions and investments necessary to meet head on challenges facing coffee." The Challenge begain in December 2015 with 18 participating entities, a number that has since grown to 35 organizations repre- senting companies that buy and sell the cof- fee, as well as NGOs, donors such as the Multilateral Investment Fund and USAID, and certification bodies. "All these actors can make commitments and investments that drive progress on particu- lar issues related to coffee production, such as forest restoration on degraded farmlands, or the empowerment of women farmers, and so on. The Challenge has created four working groups to define a road map for the coming years. These are: commitments, sustainability framework, governance and communications. Groups are comprised of volunteers. "The first group was tasked with under- standing the range of sustainability commit- ments being made by actors in the coffee sector," reports Simroc. The second group is working collaboratively to develop a framework that will lay out what exactly we mean by "sus- tainability." The third is focused on governance of the Challenge — what it looks like and how it should be managed. And the fourth will make sure we have a clear communications plan. Connect with the Challenge April 17 at SCAA, Atlanta Learn more: www.conservation.org Farms under dense forest cover keep arabica cool and moist but lower yields. Photo by Tessa Tucker/STiR Tea & Coffee "In a perfect world, where prices get high and stay there to motivate and reward producers we could see slight increases year on year. I'd say 2-5% per country per year," says Merle. "If we see another climate or nature- based event that negatively impacts coffee trees or the land on which they grow, we will see corresponding declines in coffee production in the countries affected," ob- serves Merle. "I think it is more likely we'll have additional outbreaks like coffee leaf rust on a more frequent and possibly more damaging level, than not," he said. "Specialty producers will not have the appetite or ability to remain in coffee if it only allows them to barely make ends meet or keeps them trapped in a cycle of poverty," according to Merle. "It would take some type of large-scale shortage to force NY commodity pricing up over the $3 level to stay," he said. That catastrophic event is unfolding.